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  • 6/10/2025
#CinemaJourney
#TheKollective
Transcript
00:00Transcription by ESO. Translation by —
00:30Hey, Aaron, it's me again.
00:32Look, I'm just calling to say I do understand.
00:36Do you think that...
00:37You think you need to do this on your own, but you don't.
00:41Lucas is in the fucking hospital.
00:42The next time I see you, I don't want to see you in a morgue.
00:45I just, I care about you.
01:00We have to sedate him.
01:02But his CT scans look promising.
01:05There's no sign of bleeding.
01:07And the fact that he's verbal lucid is positive.
01:10So he'll be okay?
01:12We're monitoring him.
01:13But his blood pressure is stabilizing.
01:16The rib should heal on in time.
02:18What the hell were you thinking?
02:33When Aaron contacted me, he told me to look into someone.
02:38Rabin Twerksun, Kazakh mother and a Chinese father.
02:45But Twerksun's American-educated is a scientist.
02:48What kind of scientist?
02:50Rare earth metal.
02:51Colton.
02:52And I never thought he would actually follow that jet.
02:57Never.
02:58And I think I know where that plane is going.
03:00So the Telfin number was in one of the pictures, I imagine.
03:09Yes.
03:10And you tracked his destination?
03:14Yes.
03:14Oh, my God.
03:19Etienne, where?
03:20I'm in Roblast.
03:22It's in East Russia.
03:25Aaron's gone to East Russia.
03:27Yes.
03:27Yes.
03:27Hello, where?
03:32Lucas.
03:33Chris.
03:34Yeah.
03:35Hey, are you okay?
03:37How are you feeling?
03:38I'm a little bit better.
03:40Excuse me.
03:41What did you see?
03:41Never better.
03:43I can see the other guy.
03:44You should see the other guy.
03:48Do you want me to go get someone?
03:50I was a nurse.
03:51You want some help?
03:54Excuse me.
03:55Excuse me.
03:58Be careful.
03:59Do you remember what happened?
04:00No.
04:01You were in the apartment.
04:03I really appreciate that you guys are here.
04:06But if you really want to help me, then follow it where?
04:12No.
04:16Um.
04:19Okay.
04:23Okay, so, during the Soviet era, the most interesting places in the USSR were the Zatos.
04:32Oh, the closed cities.
04:33Yeah.
04:33Zatos.
04:34They were effectively military bases, where they would develop weapons and work on the Soviet space program.
04:41And look, these are cargo trucks transporting Congolese Colton, okay?
04:48How do we know that?
04:50I checked the ID numbers on the container, then I checked them against the open source shipping manifest,
04:57and finally tracked them back to their source.
05:00Well, it's good to have you back, Etienne.
05:02Thank you very much.
05:03So, these satellite pictures, they're all of, uh, Scovorodino?
05:07Scovorodino.
05:08Scovorodino.
05:08Yes.
05:09And look, a few hours later...
05:14Voilà.
05:15Would the trucks return, but they're empty?
05:19Yeah.
05:20So, you reckon that they unloaded the Colton in Scovorodino?
05:25It's just a theory.
05:26Well, that's not stopping Aaron.
05:27He's gone and chased your theory.
05:30Uh, Etienne.
05:30When you looked at the satellite data, did you also look at the other part of the dome, did you?
05:37Do you look south?
05:39Yes.
05:40Oh, what is that?
05:43It's hard to tell, isn't it?
05:44It looks like a forest, so what are they hiding?
05:47I don't know, but Congolese Colton traveling to a remote location in East Russia,
05:51former USSR military research town.
05:53So, maybe it is a good place for Aaron to start looking.
05:56Yeah.
06:09Hey, I know where you're going.
06:11Uh, I'm not sure about this.
06:13Just, uh, try and get on them when you can.
06:17We're guessing to accident because we are traveling to this blurred area on the map.
06:32There is an adoption agency in Scovorodino, so you're going to pretend to adopt a kid,
06:38so you have a good reason to be there.
06:42Just try to be as convincing as possible and be careful, okay?
06:45Hmm.
06:47No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
06:51You, you, you want some help?
06:52I know.
06:52No?
06:53No?
06:53No.
06:53I'm going to kick your ass in no time.
06:56Yeah.
06:57You want to kick my ass?
06:58Come on, kick my ass.
06:59I have to kick my ass.
07:00You can, you can even move your leg.
07:02So please don't.
07:03Why did you come back?
07:05Hey.
07:08Hey.
07:08Hey.
07:09Hey.
07:10I am.
07:10I knew they wouldn't keep you down for long.
07:14It's so nice to have you back, Etienne.
07:17Thank you very much.
07:18Revin Tverschen.
07:20He majored in aerospace and...
07:21Excuse me, Maya, but we already found that.
07:24Yeah, but did you know he went on to work for NASA?
07:27The rockets and spaceships NASA?
07:29Full security clearance.
07:31Well, if he worked for the Americans, what's he doing with Kuzmin now?
07:34The simplest explanation is he defected, but maybe he was always working for the Russians.
07:40He did a couple of stints with specialist communications companies, designing commercial satellite systems.
07:46He even did one for some obscure Russian company, uh, Yegorovich Manufacturing.
07:53Anyway, his, his employment record, it was pretty regular until he joins NASA.
07:58And eight months into the job, he quits.
08:03When was that?
08:04Five years ago?
08:05And ever since, to all intents and purposes, Tverschen, he has become a ghost.
08:28Uh, are you lost?
08:51I'm sorry?
08:57Uh, you need a room?
09:01Ivan, uh, I'm a client for you, huh?
09:05Why are you here?
09:07For the adoption agency.
09:10Oh, but you are here alone.
09:12I have the application form, my wife, she got sick the day before we were due to leave, so, uh, I, we decided that I should go on ahead alone.
09:28I'm Nicholas, by the way.
09:30Ludmila.
09:31Hello.
09:31Very nice to meet you.
09:33I'm Nicholas.
09:33Oh, Nikolaj.
09:35Nikolaj.
09:36Nikolaj.
09:36I hope you like the room.
09:41Yes, it's, uh, it's wonderful.
10:06You can come in.
10:22I'm Nicholas.
10:22I'm Nicholas.
10:51I'm Nicholas.
10:52Oh, my God.
11:22Oh, my God.
11:52Oh, my God.
12:22Oh, my God.
12:52Oh, my God.
13:22Oh, my God.
13:23Oh, my God.
13:24Oh, my God.
13:25Oh, my God.
13:26Oh, my God.
13:27Oh, my God.
13:28Oh, my God.
13:29Oh, my God.
13:30Oh, my God.
13:32Oh, my God.
13:33Oh, my God.
13:34Oh, my God.
13:35Oh, my God.
13:36Oh, my God.
13:37Oh, my God.
13:38Oh, my God.
13:39Oh, my God.
13:40Oh, my God.
13:41Oh, my God.
13:42Oh, my God.
13:43Oh, my God.
13:44Oh, my God.
13:45Oh, my God.
13:46Oh, my God.
13:47Oh, my God.
13:48Oh, my God.
13:49Oh, my God.
13:50Oh, my God.
13:52Oh, my God.
13:53Oh, my God.
13:54Oh, my God.
13:55Oh, my God.
13:56Oh, my God.
13:57Oh, my God.
13:58Oh, my God.
13:59Oh, my God.
14:00Oh, my God.
14:01Oh, my God.
14:02Oh, my God.
14:03Oh, my God.
14:04Oh, my God.
14:05Oh, my God.
14:06Oh, my God.
14:07Oh, my God.
14:08Oh, my God.
14:09Oh, my God.
14:10Oh, my God.
14:11Oh, my God.
14:12Oh, my God.
14:13Oh, my God.
14:14Oh, my God.
14:15Oh, my God.
14:16Oh, my God.
14:17Oh, my God.
14:18Oh, my God.
14:19Oh, my God.
14:20Oh, my God.
14:21Oh, my God.
14:22Oh, my God.
14:23Oh, my God.
14:24Oh, my God.
14:25Oh, my God.
14:26Oh, my God.
14:27get someone to put it into their system then we can program it to connect to the
14:32factories network and maybe broadcast it to a dedicated server close by so we
14:37have a receiver outside the factory connected to a laptop okay then we let
14:41the malware download whatever files it can find we'd be crossing the line
14:49again it's hacking it's not journalism Delia look Steve Lush died when he found
14:54out the truth if we give up now Joshua died for nothing
15:10okay still it could take weeks to ship that device to me and I highly doubt that
15:21this cover will last that long okay well what if one of us brought the USB
15:27device to you no fucking way it's way too dangerous for you to come here
15:31Delia after st. Petersburg it will be difficult for you to enter Russia it's
15:35dangerous for you to be there alone Aaron we started this thing together let's
15:40finish it together all right I guess we need to go shopping yeah yeah
15:52I Lucas sent me because yeah for for materials not sure
16:11excuse me yeah your receiver and a microcontroller with hidden Wi-Fi capabilities standard bed USB
16:31okay I should take you no returns oh no no problem with that
16:35many excuses been learned okay
16:41now we just load the malware and program it to run when they plug this thing
16:51done receiver thank you now we just need to get you into Russia you'll find a way we think
17:11that the best access is gonna be through China wish me luck so you would fly to Beijing and then you
17:19would get domestic flights to the Sino-Russian border thank you from there Sergei says he's gonna
17:24be able to pull some strings
17:34please be vigilant
17:49please be like
18:03Oh, you must be Katja, yes?
18:14Yes, nice to meet you.
18:15Nice to meet you.
18:16Nicolai, your wife is here.
18:19Nice to meet you.
18:20Very nice.
18:25Nicholas.
18:26Katie.
18:28Well, this is my wife.
18:33This is Ludmilla and Yvonne.
18:35I've already told them everything about you, about us.
18:38Our hopes.
18:39Yes, exactly.
18:41Well, I can't wait to finally start with our new life.
18:46Neither can I.
18:54Nicolai, tell my...
18:56How did you realize, how do you say, that Katja was the one?
19:05Mm-hmm.
19:09Well, it's funny, because it took me quite a while to realize.
19:12Because in the beginning she really, really annoyed me.
19:15Oh, yeah.
19:17But then I started to see the small things.
19:20She opens her mouth when she's concentrating.
19:23I love that.
19:25And then she has this thing where she, like...
19:27When she's getting annoyed, she, like, has the wrinkles on her nose.
19:31And then she does...
19:32She doesn't really laugh.
19:33She does like a...
19:34Like she just did.
19:35I love it.
19:37Um...
19:38I never, ever have to explain myself.
19:41And I think she sees me.
19:46And that's how I knew she's the one.
19:48And you, Katja?
19:57Well, he calls me a tsunami.
20:00And says I'm stubborn and obsessive.
20:03He's stubborn and obsessive.
20:05I mean, like me.
20:07But he's now the person I go to for everything.
20:13And when you're not with me...
20:16I realize that I need you.
20:18Your perspective and instincts.
20:23You see, people and things were what they really are.
20:26No.
20:28I needed that.
20:37Lucky man.
20:38No, for moments like this, we need to drink vodka.
20:42Yes.
20:45So, let us toast.
20:46Our leaders often speak of strength and progress.
20:49But...
20:50They make their decisions.
20:51They choose their wars.
20:53But...
20:54We are the ones...
20:56Too left with the consequences.
20:59For example...
21:00Our eldest son...
21:02Ilya...
21:04They sent him to Syria.
21:07They said they had the reasons.
21:11But they just sent him there to die.
21:13They...
21:15What's good?
21:16Yes, reason. Thank you.
21:20Ilya is a beautiful name.
21:23Ilya.
21:25Ilya.
21:27Mama?
21:28No.
21:29Sorry.
21:31Sit down, please.
21:35Sit down, please.
21:36Sit down, please.
21:37Sit down.
21:40Yeah.
21:43Sit down.
21:44Okay, Ilya.
21:45Get your hand.
21:46Sit down.
21:47Let's do something.
21:48Sit down.
21:50Sit down.
21:51Sit down.
21:52Sit down.
21:54Good.
21:55Do nothing, mom.
21:56Come on.
21:58Come on.
22:03Come on.
22:04Come on.
22:05Come on.
22:06Oh, great.
22:10Wow, wow.
22:11Wow!
22:15Hey, Agapya!
22:20Oh, my God!
22:36Going without you was irresponsible.
22:41Well, for honest, there's probably a time I would have done the same.
23:11It's okay.
23:19Let's go.
23:20Don't slap me out again.
23:48What?
23:50Don't slap me out again.
23:55I won't.
23:57Don't slap me out again.
24:02Don't slap me out again.
24:07Don't slap me out again.
24:08Don't slap me out again.
24:12Don't slap me out again.
24:13Don't slap me out again.
24:15Don't slap me out again.
24:16Don't slap me out again.
24:17Don't slap me out again.
24:18Don't slap me out again.
24:19Don't slap me out again.
24:21Don't slap me out again.
24:24Don't slap me out again.
24:25Don't slap me out again.
24:26Don't slap me out again.
24:27Don't slap me out again.
24:28Don't slap me out again.
24:29Don't slap me out again.
24:30Don't slap me out again.
24:31Don't slap me out again.
24:32Don't slap me out again.
24:33Don't slap me out again.
24:34Don't slap me out again.
24:35Don't slap me out again.
24:36Don't slap me out again.
24:37Don't slap me out again.
24:38Don't slap me out again.
24:39and we found some that were going to the Gagorovic factory.
24:43Oh, thank you.
24:45Ah, shit. It's actually working.
24:51Coffee mugs. And computer keyboards.
24:55Keyboards?
24:59Aaron's address.
25:01So we changed the address and diverted them to you.
25:04This is perfect.
25:06Now listen, you just have to switch one of the normal USBs with the one with the malware.
25:12And then you take off the old label, get it to the post office,
25:15there it gets a whole shiny new label, this time with the right address,
25:19and then it will be sent to our friends at Gagorovic Manufacturing.
25:22And they'll never know their package took a little detour.
25:25Once you're done, go get online near the factory.
25:35Then we'll remote access your computer and we'll take it from there.
25:38And the package is in.
25:50Okay, that's the receiver.
25:52Should I access the laptop?
25:54Yeah, I see it. We're in.
25:57Okay, I'm gonna take over and I'm gonna try to brute force their Wi-Fi password.
26:03Hi.
26:06Okay, all or nothing.
26:08I got it!
26:14Got it!
26:16Sorry, Luke.
26:17I got it, I got it.
26:19Here you go.
26:20Got it, save the password.
26:22Okay, now we're in their network.
26:25Let's hope that someone plucks in their keyboard and the USB.
26:28used to be.
26:58Robert, listen to me. I spoke with Alexander. He said that you bring you in great difficulties and could not even be able to get out of something.
27:10I'm worried about you. Come back home. Please.
27:17Mir geht's gut. Mach dir keine Sorgen um mich. Ich kann dir nichts versprechen, aber ich rufe dich vielleicht an, wenn ich zurück bin. Okay?
27:47I plugged in the USB. So, what do we have? There must be thousands of files. Everything from payroll, accounting,
28:15through to employment contracts. Has Twaxon made an appearance? Yeah, he's chief engineer, if my translation is right.
28:24Okay. In what exactly? Well, that's where things get really interesting. There are a bunch of schematics and blueprints for various subsystems,
28:34but if you combine them all together, it forms some sort of satellite. Let's have a look.
28:40Let's have a look. If this is a satellite, where are the wings? That's where the solar panels would be, right? So, how's this getting power?
28:49Look. This plant must show the internals. Look how cool this is. Okay. That's the inside. Yeah.
29:01There must be something for microprocessors. A satellite with a computer system this dense, this complex would require a lot of raw material.
29:10Yeah. Precisely. And then there is this. What is this? I guess it's some sort of payload.
29:22These are microwave rays. Extremely high power lasers. Possibly some signal jamming equipment and other stuff. TBC.
29:31Guys. Satellites are Turkson's specialty. So, I do think we know now what they're building. We just don't know why.
29:40So, we're gonna need more files. We should go. We've got like 30 gigs of data.
29:54Um, so far it's just more of the same. Payroll, accounting, whole bunch of scientific papers.
30:01The papers on what?
30:06Lucas, these are decay rates of uranium.
30:11Mystery payload?
30:12You think it's a nuclear weapon?
30:14Guys, please, let's not jump to any conclusions.
30:17Yeah. It would explain why everything is blacked out in the schematics. It would go against every international agreement.
30:25But, Lucas, you cannot get by those guards. You can't.
30:28Guys, look at this. What is this document about?
30:39Is this a tunnel underneath the checkpoint?
30:42I don't think there are any guards around there.
30:44There's an entrance. Maybe we'll find out more about how they control these satellites.
30:53We have to know for sure.
30:55It would be dangerous.
30:58Aaron, Aaron, please, let's not cross that line again. Please.
31:04We agreed we'd make decisions together now, so...
31:07I'm not doing this without you.
31:10We are citizen journalists behind the desk, not secret agents.
31:15We're so close.
31:16All we've lost, it has to be worth something, right?
31:18It's worth a shot.
31:24Say we go in.
31:26I mean, what are we... what are we even looking for?
31:28Um, uh...
31:30Large centrifuges.
31:31Industrial equipment. Just anything.
31:34Anything that proves they are processing uranium.
31:37Pretty hard to hide this stuff.
31:41Okay, guys.
31:44I'm gonna call you now.
31:46And as soon as we're in, we're gonna stream live to the chat.
31:50Just make sure you're recording.
31:52Guys, we should think about this before.
31:56Just keep downloading the files.
31:58Get what you can.
31:59Get what you can.
32:11Send me the blueprint, please.
32:18Okay, guys.
32:19I will try to find a way to track you.
32:22Up the ladder and down the chimney.
32:29Right.
32:34I'm uploading the building's plan to my forensic architecture software.
32:39So if you keep your phone on, I should be able to track you inside the factory.
32:44And please make sure your phone is on silent.
32:47You sure we wanna do this?
32:49I mean, it should bring us behind those gates.
32:52You might lose phone signals.
32:54Do you have the Wi-Fi password?
32:55Yes, I've got it.
32:56Okay, cut us back from the dead work.
33:00Better safe than sorry.
33:03Better safe than sorry.
33:26The other two are going to take the soil.
33:27Great.
33:28Great!
33:29Great!
33:31Great!
33:32Great!
33:34Great!
33:35Great!
33:39Great!
33:40Great!
33:42Great!
33:43Great!
33:45Great!
33:46Guys, I put you in my pocket.
34:16Okay, so centrifuges, they're typically steel, like big metal tubes, a few meters long.
34:28See if you can find anything like that.
34:46Oh, wait, wait, wait, it's that...
34:52Tlaxon.
34:57Try to follow him. Get a closer look.
35:01Look at this, the satellites.
35:16Aaron, get out of there.
35:22Aaron, get out of there.
35:32Go, go now, Aaron.
35:37We are recording everything, so get out now.
35:42Get out!
35:45Keep on walking.
35:50We have a problem.
36:05Is he still following you?
36:07Don't look, but is he still following you?
36:16Guys.
36:17Yeah?
36:18Guys.
36:19Do you see this?
36:20Yep.
36:21We see it.
36:22I'm in an elevator.
36:23Uh, yeah.
36:25Where are you going?
36:26I don't know, but I'm...
36:28I'm going down.
36:29We need to go out.
36:32Aaron, I'm not sure about this.
36:38I'm not sure about this.
36:39I told you this was a bad idea.
36:41No, no.
36:42No, no, no.
36:45Guys, I think Turks and satellites are weapons.
37:08Where's this place?
37:10I don't know.
37:11They're aiming at satellites all over the world.
37:13Why are they targeting other satellites?
37:16A love.
37:19I admire the spirit.
37:22Ah, my friend from St. Petersburg.
37:25You left an hour.
37:27You can't blame me for trying.
37:31You know about the payload in the satellite?
37:35What is it?
37:37A nuclear weapon?
37:38A nuclear weapon?
37:41We could have done that decades ago.
37:44Lucas.
37:44We need to get him out of here.
37:48How?
37:49I don't know.
37:50I followed him down.
37:54Is that what Jors went out?
37:56That you needed all of the Colton for your satellites?
37:58Your friend was simply collateral damage.
38:03And Steve Lush.
38:06And Claude?
38:08You murdered them.
38:11Why?
38:12Why are your satellites targeting other satellites?
38:14Huh?
38:15Do you want to start a war?
38:16We don't need to wage war against you.
38:18We don't need to wage war against you.
38:20We just shut down your systems.
38:25Hospitals, transportation, telecommunications, banking.
38:32And when the world as you know it collapses, very quickly you will realize we're all the same in the dark.
38:44And after the darkness, we will turn the telecommunications systems back on.
38:50And your disinformation will have filled in the blanks.
38:54The uranium is powering the jamming equipment on your satellites and that's how you create the blackout.
38:58The greatest victories are those that require no battles.
39:02No one has the monopoly on truth.
39:07Truth belongs to all of us.
39:18We will see.
39:21Guys, guys, I think I found the password to their internal security system.
39:26But I need a minute.
39:32So this is how you do it.
39:50All that real-time disinformation.
39:55A quantum computer.
39:57Yes.
40:02Now, give me your phone.
40:09No, no, no, no, no, no, Lucas, hurry up.
40:11Guys, what do I do?
40:12Aaron, I'm going to need you out of that room in three seconds.
40:15Three, two, one.
40:19Now!
40:23Silence!
40:26Oh, shit.
40:28We need another way out.
40:29The elevator's on its way down, Lucas.
40:31Just a second, merci.
40:32It's in.
40:33We don't have a second.
40:34Aaron, stay with me.
40:35Quick, quick, quick.
40:36Find a solution now!
40:37Okay, we see you.
40:40Take a look at the right of the elevator doors.
40:43You should see a vent.
40:46Get inside it.
40:49No!
40:52You should see a service ladder.
40:58Keep climbing up.
40:59What do we do now?
41:01Whoa, wait, wait.
41:02You're on the wrong side of the building.
41:03You're going to need another way out.
41:05Um, uh, let me give you some cover.
41:07Okay, hold on.
41:08Just a second.
41:09We're still climbing up.
41:11Slap, liquor.
41:12All right.
41:17What do you want to do now?
41:24Back on the ground floor.
41:25What do we do now?
41:26What do you want to do now?
41:28What do you want to do now?
41:29What do you want to do now?
41:29What do you want to do now?
41:30What do you want to do now?
41:31Hey, go!
41:33Go!
41:34Go!
41:34Go!
41:43Truck!
41:44Come!
41:49We're on the truck.
41:50But we don't know where we're moving to.
41:52Guys!
41:56Oh my God, where are you going?
41:58Uh, you're heading west.
42:01Bad news.
42:02According to these blueprint, there's an army barracks that way.
42:05What's up?
42:19Don't you?
42:20They are coming to the front of the ship!
42:29Where is this street?
42:34Let's see what's happening there, Dior!
42:37Dior...
42:40I'm Boris...
42:50It's the train.
43:20Thank you, Boris. Thank you very much.
43:50Today, we are publishing 45 gigabytes of data.
43:58We believe these documents uncover a secret Russian space program designed to initiate a global digital collapse and gain control of international media.
44:08The truth lies hidden within these documents. If you want to help, click here.
44:20The citizen journalist group known as The Collective have published a video in which a Russian agent appears to describe a new uranium-based space weapon.
44:31The weapon allegedly has the capacity to destroy satellites on which the world depends for internet, air traffic control, and the stock market.
44:41This would be in violation of the space treaty to which 130 countries are signatories, including Russia.
44:47The Russian government has, however, denied any involvement, claiming the agent to be a rogue operative.
45:00If I get scared, yes, yes, all the time.
45:07But with the alternative, the important thing is that we don't let it stop us. That's all. That's what I wanted to say.
45:19If we give in to fear, we give in to them. And that's not something we are willing to do.
45:23We believe uncovering the truth can make a difference.
45:26What happens next doesn't have to be left up to these competing narratives. It can be up to you.
45:42So if you find something that you care about, it can be something local.
45:46Find something that matters to you and then start to investigate.
45:50The documents we posted were downloaded by almost 1.8 million people.
46:12Each one of you give me hope.
46:14I believe if Joshua was still alive, he would say, what we do matters.
46:23If things had gone any other way, there's a chance that we wouldn't be here today or that I'd be here alone.
46:32Didn't go that way.
46:34And you're not alone.
46:38None of us are.
46:39I'll see you on line.
47:09I'll see you on Lord.